Teagan loaded her telescope into her truck, the cold pre-dawn air making her nose run. A storm front had brought the temperature from a comfy fifties down to the twenties. At least it had stopped snowing and they’d plowed the roads.

She checked her list again, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. Clothing for a warmer climate. Hiking clothes and boots. Telescope. And most important of all, her computer and power cord. She programmed the heat to remain at 60 to prevent her old pipes from freezing, and dropped her spare key into Ben’s mail slot. Then she started up her truck and ventured south on I-25.

In Albuquerque, she pulled over for gas. The sun had come out and melted most of the storm’s icy remnants, which meant a safer and quicker drive. The second half of the journey, through southern New Mexico and into Arizona, would be dry and easy.

Aaron offered to fly her, but she insisted on driving. Driving meant she could bring the extras that would make her trip more fun, like her telescope and her Star Trek DVDs and plenty of extra clothing. When she reached the Sonoran Desert, the warm sunshine and lofty saguaros greeted her again, followed by the orange sunset she longed for. She grew more and more excited about seeing Aaron.

At nearly eight that evening, she pulled off I-10, fatigued from the long drive and her eyes tired from staring at blinding snow and bright desert all day long. Aaron’s door opened and out he came in jeans and a t-shirt. His expression was serious but his eyes revealed a gleam of happiness that she’d come to recognize, a look that said far more than words could. She ran over and threw her arms around him, her fatigue dissolving away. Aaron grabbed her bag and they went inside. Upon seeing her, Patton skidded around the tile floor in excitement, his tail whipping back and forth as he scurried over. She gave him some love before they unloaded the rest of her things.

“Now I see why you insisted on driving,” Aaron said, carrying her telescope inside.

“Totally different sky in the winter,” she replied.

“You hungry?”

“Starving.”

After they ate, Teagan took a quick shower and grabbed her lined journal with the image of Saturn on it, the one filled with her story notes. She jotted down a couple of ideas before crawling into bed with Aaron. They spent the next day together, until Aaron got packed and ready to leave town.

He held her, giving her a long kiss before he eyed her with a serious expression. “Thank you. For doing this.”

She smiled. “My pleasure.”

And it was. She couldn’t think of a better way to show Aaron how much she cared and how much she appreciated the man he was, the amazing way he treated her, and his service to their country. Caring for his home and dog seemed like nothing at all.

“I don’t know what my schedule will be like,” Aaron told her. “But it’ll be busy. I promise I’ll call, but I can’t promise when.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

“You can text me, though,” he added.

“How about dirty texts?” she joked.

“Even better.”

Teagan laughed and gave him a playful smack. “Go learn something new.”

Aaron picked up his bags and left.

The phone rang. Teagan looked up from her computer. It was 6:30 p.m., 8:30 Eastern. Aaron, calling her right on time again.

“Good evening, Major,” she said.

“Hey.”

Teagan smiled at Aaron’s tone. She’d learned to differentiate between Aaron’s different “heys,” and he had many versions. This was a tired hey, but one where he sounded glad to hear her voice. “You sound beat.”

“I am.”

“Tough day?”

“Tough week. Part of the training requires me to learn the basics of… a new language.”

Compassion flooded her. Languages were Aaron’s weakness, a weakness he’d managed to avoid for many years. “Can you say which one?”

“No.”

Aaron couldn’t tell her much at all. The training involved learning the latest intel equipment, the kind understood and operated only by those with special permission.

“That sounds stressful. Does your C.O. out there seem happy? As happy as he gets, anyway?”

“From what I’m told, if I wasn’t cutting it, he’d have spoken up by now.” He paused, letting out a breath. “I’ll be glad when it’s over, to be honest with you.”

“Only one more week.”

“How are you doing? How’s the writing?”

“Good! It looks like I’ll completely finish the novel I started after you left. It’s amazing how much you can get done with no distractions.”

“That’s awesome. I look forward to reading it. You said it’s inspired by the desert?”

“Yep. I’ve created a new alien world where a hundred degrees Fahrenheit is considered comfortable. And there’s so little rain that the natives recycle their own waste to conserve water.”

“Like Dune.”

She paused in surprise. “How do you know about Dune?”

“It just came to me. I never finished it… but I remember the desert ecology stuff. It was interesting.”

“See, you’re a nerd after all! That’s why we get along!”

He laughed at that. “You’re just rubbing off on me. Making me smarter.”

“No. You’re already really smart.”

Silence. Teagan smiled. Compliments still embarrassed Aaron, but she knew he liked them.

“I miss you,” he said.

Teagan melted at his heartfelt tone. “I miss you, too. I can’t wait for New Year.”

“Me neither. Until then, send me a few more of those photos, will you?”

She giggled. “You’ve been deleting those, right?”

“I have. I promise.”

“Okay. The next one will be even dirtier…”

Aaron chuckled. But when he then sighed, she knew it was time. “I know you need to go.”

“I wish I didn’t.”

“Thanks for calling.”

“I’ll call you Thursday night.”

“Sounds good.”

Thursday was three days from now. She could wait three days, no problem. Especially after a seven-day stint of no contact when Aaron was out in the field. She realized that was nothing, not compared to those couples who endured six-month separations while one partner was deployed overseas.

The first three weeks had passed quickly. She’d administered her final lectures and exams. She’d walked Patton every day and hiked a few times a week. She’d gone to Tucson twice for a change of scenery and enjoyed wearing only jeans and a t-shirt in mid-December. And she’d spent a lot of time at Aaron’s desk, on his couch, at his kitchen table… writing.

It had finally begun to wear on her, though. She’d had little interaction with others, other than a few phone calls to Diana, Hannah, and Ben. When her mom called and asked if she was coming for Christmas, she said no. It was too far to drive and she couldn’t afford to fly. It would be weird spending Christmas alone, but it would be worth it when Aaron got back and they spent New Year’s together.

Her phone rang again. It was Ben.

“Good evening, neighbor,” she said.

“What’s happening, T?”

“Just got off the phone with Aaron. What are you up to?”

“Oh, I’m at your place, going through your underwear drawer. Nice shit, by the way.” Before Teagan could say much, Ben laughed. “Just kidding. Your joint’s fine. Your succulents are watered and everything looks good.”

“Thank you. How’s Beth doing?”

“Yeah… we got in a pretty big fight. And it’s not over yet. I’d tell you the details, but you already know. Same old shit.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I just wish she’d chill out. I’ve told her time and time again I’m not ready to move in and to not even bring up the fucking M word.”

“Marriage?”

“Yeah, that.” He paused. “You doing all right down there?”

“I am. It’s starting to get lonely, but Aaron will be back in a week. I can wait another week.”

“Totally. Well, I just wanted to say hi…”

“Thanks for calling. Say hi to Beth, and don’t fight, okay? Let it cool off before you talk again.”

“Okay. Talk to you soon.”

Teagan got up to make some dinner, thinking about Ben’s situation with Beth and glad she wasn’t in his shoes. Finally, things were working out for her. Not only did she feel happy in her relationship, she had a feeling their relationship would go to the next level after Aaron got home. It was only a feeling, based on small things Aaron said, but she looked forward to seeing where things went.

Thursday, Teagan wrote until long after dark, not realizing until she checked her calendar that it was Christmas Eve. She’d been so obsessed with finishing her novel that she’d forgotten. Tired, she got up to see what was in the fridge. She took out leftovers from the night before. The fridge looked a little empty and she hadn’t considered what to eat on Christmas Day. Time to hit the grocery store.

But when she got there, it was closed. She sighed, deciding to come back in the morning. They’d be open early, before they closed up for the holiday. Back at Aaron’s, she ate her leftover chicken and turned on the TV. It didn’t take long for drowsiness to overcome her.

Teagan woke up to a loud noise, which she realized was from an action movie on TV. She glanced at the time. 10:47 p.m. After gathering her wits, she got up and checked her phone. Aaron hadn’t called.

He’d said Thursday, right? The days had begun to blur together. She checked her phone again, seeing that it was Thursday. Worry nipped at her. Something was wrong. Aaron always called.

But she shook it off. Aaron had been stretched pretty thin. She could hear it in his voice. He’d probably fallen asleep himself, or something came up in training. He would call tomorrow.

Teagan made her way to Aaron’s bed and went to sleep.

Friday, Teagan woke early to make a quick run to the grocery store and stock up on food. Tradition dictated prime rib on Christmas Day, but perhaps a steak would do the trick for her solo holiday meal. Steak, asparagus, fresh bread, and something gooey and delicious for dessert. Plus, it couldn’t hurt to pick up a few groceries for the next several days, so they’d have something to eat when Aaron returned.

When she arrived at the grocery store, the empty parking lot gave her a sinking feeling. No! Sure enough, it was closed for the entire day. When she searched on her phone, she found that all the grocery stores in the area were closed.

“Shit,” she muttered, her plan for a nice holiday meal fading away. She searched for other options in Benson. The restaurants were closed too. All but Taco Bell. Teagan shook her head. She hated fast food. Hated it. But with nothing but pasta, coffee, and potato chips at Aaron’s house, it was Taco Bell or nothing.

Then she remembered Tucson. Tucson’s stores would be open this morning! Sure, it was a long drive for a few bags of groceries, but what choice did she have?

She pulled onto Interstate 10 and headed west. Twenty minutes later, Teagan saw an unpleasant sight. Brake lights. Lots of them. She rolled her eyes, wondering just how long a damned grocery run could actually take. When she drew closer and saw cop cars and lots of flashing lights, she realized it wasn’t just a traffic jam. An officer was directing cars to turn around. When her turn came after waiting several long minutes, she rolled down her window.

“No way into Tucson?” she asked.

“Not right now,” the officer said.

“How long until the incident is cleared?”

“It’s a bad one. Could be hours.”

“Thank you, Officer.”

A while later, she pulled up to Aaron’s house with several bags of Taco Bell items, the gourmet grub that would serve as her holiday dinner. She ate lunch and worked for a while, then took a nap. She wished Aaron would call. At the very least, he would laugh at her Taco Bell story. Finally, at 7:20, her phone rang. When she saw Aaron’s name, relief fell over her.

“Hey!” she said.

“Hey.” It was a serious hey, but an unfamiliar one that unsettled her.

“Merry Christmas.”

“Oh, yeah.” He sounded distracted. “Merry Christmas to you. How are you?”

She laughed. “It’s been an interesting couple of days…” She told him about her grocery challenges and Taco Bell adventure, which elicited a tiny chuckle from him.

“I guess I should have warned you. Benson’s stores and restaurants don’t keep city hours. It’s a small town.”

“Lesson learned.”

“Everything good at the house?”

“Yep. Patton is well-fed and exercised.”

There was a pause. “Sorry I didn’t call last night. A lot going on around here.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just… a lot going on.” He paused. “How’s the writing?”

“Lots of words down. I’m so digging this new book!”

“Good.”

There was a long pause, one that made Teagan uncomfortable. “Aaron, did something happen? You sound off.”

“I’m just tired, that’s all.”

“Okay.”

She didn’t believe him but decided to drop it, knowing he would talk about it when he felt ready to. They chatted for a few more minutes before Aaron had to join his C.O. for a meeting and then dinner. He promised to call Sunday, just before he got home Monday evening.

When Teagan hung up, she still felt troubled by Aaron’s distant tone. True, he’d been in intense training for weeks, learning things he couldn’t even talk about. The training had included learning a language, taxing his dyslexia and probably bringing up bad memories. He still faced evaluation by his superiors, the results of which would determine his future. And the truth was, she’d never seen Aaron under stress before. Wasn’t everyone at their worst under stress and most prone to showing their weaknesses?

When Sunday night came around, Aaron never called. Twice now, he’d broken his word. Teagan sat back, a knot in the pit of her stomach as flashbacks from her painful past assailed her. She’d had the same uneasy feeling and tolerated the same withdrawn behavior before she found out Shawn had been cheating with the woman he’d left her for. Yet, this wasn’t Shawn. This was Aaron. Aaron wouldn’t do that.

Would he?

After a terrible night’s sleep, Teagan broke down and called Aaron. The call went straight to voicemail. She sent a text as well… and got no response.